Facing my fears. Hot Yoga at Fierce Grace Review

I learned about Fierce Grace and hot yoga from another blog, but although I was curious I was also afraid. For someone who doesn’t handle heat very well, exercising in a hot room sounds dangerous. And not only because my heart might explode, but the warm muscles might trick me into thinking I’m much more flexible than I am and end up breaking one because I stretched it too much.

A few days ago I was walking the Beagles and passed by the Fierce Grace studio (the Old Street one). Something just clicked, so I decided to sign up for a class. For 17£ I purchased one Deep Core class (full body stretch, great for flexibility). A bit pricey for a class, but once you become a regular and buy more classes at once, the price per class drops.

Deep Core Hot Yoga Class at Fierce Grace Review

When the day came, I was all ready for my class – well hydrated, wearing the lightest fitness clothes I have and equipped with a yoga mat, two towels (one for class, one for shower) and a bottle of water. I was briefed at the reception and told that I could take breaks whenever I feel like it – which worried me a little bit.

Ok, the moment of truth. I entered the room. And surprise, it was not as hot as I expected. It was ok; I told myself I could do this. After class, I did a bit of research on the internet and learned that the temperature was a bit less than 40 degrees C.

The class is 1h 15min. I never felt dizzy or sick in any way. I started to sweat just a few minutes after I entered the room and about 2 hours after the class finished I was still sweating. The shower was useless. I drank the 1L bottle of water I had and only when I changed I realized how wet my clothes were. Imagine doing laundry, and suddenly the washing machine breaks down and doesn’t spin anymore.

The class itself was great. The teacher was not doing the poses, but instructing us what to do and correcting our postures. She came over to my mat a few times, so I had the chance to learn a few more alignment tips. We went through a lot of leg stretches, spinal twists and folds. I also liked the fact that I was free to practice at my own pace. We were holding each pose for a while, so I had enough time to find the stretch and hold it without being rushed to the next one. And my fear of overstretching a muscle was not justified. I have enough experience to understand my limitations and not cross any line even if my muscles are hot.

I’m looking forward to trying all Fierce Grace classes. Have a look at what they offer, and maybe you’ll join me for a class.

Tips for your first hot yoga class

Dress as light as possible. Most guys were shirtless; I was so jealous

Have water with you and be hydrated beforehand

No food 2 hours before class

Have a towel with you – not only to wipe all that sweat, but it will help you on some poses when your hands and feet are too slippery on the mat

By the way, try to resist the urge of wiping the sweat, it will make your body produce even more; we sweat to regulate our body temperature, just let it do its job;

If you have a shower afterwards, don’t change into fancy clothes. You’ll continue to sweat for a good while

Don’t do any strenuous exercise immediately after, let your muscles cool down – I ran to catch the bus, and I felt some pain in my legs, so I decided to take it easy and wait for the next one.

Don’t do this as a total yoga beginner, know your body and stretching abilities first

Take breaks and get out of the room if you need it

Don’t use this as a weight loss aid; you’re only losing water, not fat